She's back and it's all Brenda all week long the week of August 9th, but that's not all. ABC Daytime and SOAPnet have tons of fun stuff in store for us leading up to Brenda's return. They are going all out to welcome Vanessa Marcil Giovinazzo and her character, Brenda Barrret, back into the General Hospital fold. In celebration of her return on Wednesday, August 11, special Brenda
programming takes over on ABC Daytime and SOAPnet the week of August 9.

To wit:

"General Hospital" will own the ABC Daytime drama block from 1:00-3:00 PM, ET on Tuesday, August 10. That means All My Children and One Life to Live fans are out of luck cos it's gonna be nothing but General Hospital, General Hospital and then another General Hospital. First you'll be treated to classic episodes featuring the men in Brenda's life (Sonny, Jax and Jason). Then, get ready for additional programming and digital events including special retrospectives, a SOAPnet marathon of classic Brenda episodes, hosted wraps, a countdown of the 25 key Brenda moments, timelines, photo galleries and trivia quizzes.

It's been eight long years since Brenda Barrett has appeared regularly on General Hospital. When we last saw her, Jax had left her at the altar and, as a result, she left town. Now Brenda's return to Port Charles comes at a time when the three most important men in her life – Sonny, Jax and Jason – are all in crisis. Not only that, Brenda's in trouble herself – when is she not? Plus, she's possessing an explosive secret. She has no idea of the havoc this indiscretion will wreak or that she'll send the lives of loved ones hurtling into chaos.

To wet your whistles, here's a sneak peek at what "The Brenda Barrett ABC Daytime and SOAPnet" programming event includes:

July 17: SOAPnet's 25-day countdown to the return of Brenda Barrett begins: Each day leading up to her arrival, a key Brenda moment will be revealed:

Every day, starting on Saturday, July 17 and leading up to her return on August 11, fans will see key Brenda moments on SOAPnet. Some of the moments will include Sonny learning Brenda is wearing a wire; Sonny and Brenda's famous kiss on the beach; and Sonny leaving Brenda in the rain. The complete list of 25 Brenda video moments will be available on ABC.com and SOAPnet.com starting August 10.

3:00 PM ET ABC / 10:00 PM ET SN: Facing estrangement from all his major relationships, especially from his children, Sonny finds himself reminiscing about Brenda and longing for a past, simpler life that allowed him to love as completely as he did once with her. On Friday, August 6, we leave Sonny on the docks thinking about Brenda -- and he flashes back to the time he helped her lug a heavy suitcase.Mistaking Claire Walsh for Brenda on August 9, Sonny tries to distract himself from his memories of her by pursuing Claire. However Sonny still cannot get her out of his mind – and he remembers the first time he told Brenda he loved her.

August 10: "General Hospital" takeover event with all three hours of the ABC Daytime drama block dedicated to "Brenda Barrett's Men: A Special 'General Hospital' Marathon," hosted by Vanessa Marcil Giovinazzo on ABC and SOAPnet:

3:00 PM ET ABC/ 10:00 PM ET: Brenda appears on the "General Hospital" landscape as the face of fashion house Cartullo, only to be attacked by a dangerous stalker.

August 15: SOAPnet marathon: "The Best of Brenda and Sonny," with special appearances byVanessa Marcil Giovinazzo and Maurice Benard:

3:00 PM – "General Hospital" Episode #8105 (OAD December 2, 1994) – In Puerto Rico, Sonny and Brenda escape on a boat and end up washed ashore on a beach, where their relief turns to passion. The two then hurry back to Miguel's (Ricky Martin) concert to warn him that he and Lois are in danger.

4:00 PM – "General Hospital" Episode #8688 (OAD March 7, 1997) -- Trapped in a cave and thinking they're going to die, Sonny and Brenda admit their feelings for each other and make love as Jax and Jason search for them.

6:00 PM – "General Hospital" Episode #9002 (OAD May 26, 1998) -- Brenda pays a surprise visit to Sonny and finally gets him to admit why he didn't show up for their wedding.

Additionally, beginning the week of July 12, ABC.com and SOAPnet.com will start rolling out content that will allow fans to reminisce and catch up on all things Brenda. The site will include photo galleries, story histories and trivia questions. The complete list of the key 25 Brenda video moments will be available starting August 10. Fans can log onto www.abc.com/generalhospital and www.soapnet.com for more info.

Vanessa Marcil Giovinazzo created the role of Brenda Barrett in 1992 and won a Daytime Emmy® for her portrayal in 2003 for Outstanding Supporting Actress. Named one of People magazine's "100 Most Beautiful People," Marcil Giovinazzo has been seen in many successful TV series, including "Las Vegas," "Without a Trace," "Lipstick Jungle" and "Beverly Hills 90210."

And as if you didn't already know -- "General Hospital" airs at 3:00 p.m., ET, 2:00 p.m., PT on the ABC Television Network, and on SOAPnet at 10:00 p.m. ET/PT. Winner of a record-setting 10 Emmys for Outstanding Daytime Drama, the program celebrated 47 years of broadcasting on April 1, 2010, and is the longest-running dramatic serial on ABC, having aired over 12,000 episodes. "General Hospital" consistently rates as one of the top-rated Daytime programs in the key demographic of Women 18-49.

"General Hospital" was created by Frank and Doris Hursley. Jill Farren Phelps is the executive producer. Mary O'Leary, Mercer Barrows and Michelle Henry are producers. Robert Guza, Jr. is the head writer. Full episodes of "General Hospital" are available on ABC.com the day after airing on the network for users to watch online.